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PTSD, the very real Threat it Poses to All Who Have It

You don't have to be a veteran of the U.S. Military to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD can happen to anyone. It is not a sign of weakness. A number of factors can increase the chance that someone will develop PTSD, many of which are not under that person's control. For example, if you were directly exposed to the trauma or injured, you are more likely to develop PTSD.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur after you have been through a trauma. A trauma is a shocking and dangerous event that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others' lives are in danger.

Going through trauma is not rare. About 6 of every 10 men (or 60%) and 5 of every 10 women (or 50%) experience at least one trauma in their lives. Women are more likely to experience sexual assault and child sexual abuse. Men are more likely to experience accidents, physical assault, combat, disaster, or to witness death or injury.

PTSD can happen to anyone. It is not a sign of weakness. A number of factors can increase the chance that someone will develop PTSD, many of which are not under that person's control. For example, if you were directly exposed to the trauma or injured, you are more likely to develop PTSD.

Here are some facts (based on the U.S. population):

About 7 or 8 out of every 100 people (or 7-8% of the population) will have PTSD at some point in their lives.

About 8 million adults have PTSD during a given year. This is only a small portion of those who have gone through a trauma.

About 10 of every 100 women (or 10%) develop PTSD sometime in their lives compared with about 4 of every 100 men (or 4%). Learn more about women, trauma and PTSD.

An estimated 7.8 percent of Americans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives, with women (10.4%) twice as likely as men (5%) to develop PTSD. About 3.6 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 to 54 (5.2 million people) have PTSD during the course of a given year.

According to a new Scandinavian study, women are most vulnerable to PTSD at an older age than men. Danish researchers discovered men are most vulnerable to PTSD between the ages of 41 and 45 years, while women are most vulnerable at ages 51 to 55.

As with most mental illnesses, no cure exists for PTSD, but the symptoms can be effectively managed to restore the affected individual to normal functioning. The best hope for treating PTSD is a combination of medication and therapy, although some are turning to CBD Therapies.

PTSD can be a debilitating disorder and its symptoms can have a negative impact on a number of different areas in a person's life. In particular, the disorder can negatively affect an individual's mental health, physical health, work, and relationships.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is an illness that you might get after a serious and frightening experience, including:

a natural disaster like an earthquake or flood,

war,

terrorist attacks,

serious accidents,

seeing someone die, or

violence against you.

The illness makes you re-live the event, which causes distress and difficulty in your day-to-day life. Your symptoms may become worse if you see, hear or smell something that reminds you of the trauma.

Some of the most common symptoms of PTSD include recurring memories or nightmares of the event, sleeplessness, loss of interest, and feelings of numbness, anger or irritability, or being constantly on guard, but there are many ways PTSD can impact your everyday life. Sometimes these symptoms don't surface for months or even years after the event occurred or after returning from deployment. They may also come and go. If these problems persist or they're disrupting your daily life, you may have PTSD. (Read More)

The condition may last months or years, with triggers that can bring back memories of the trauma accompanied by intense emotional and physical reactions.

Symptoms may include nightmares or unwanted memories of the trauma, avoidance of situations that bring back memories of the trauma, heightened reactions, anxiety, or depressed mood.

Treatment includes different types of trauma-focused psychotherapy as well as medications to manage symptoms.

However, there are new hopes on the horizon when it comes to PTSD therapy. I am talking of course about CBD therapies, which numerous individuals are testing as a source of treatment. While still being studied and tested, there may be a future with CBD use for treating anxiety or PTSD related symptoms. As always, please consult your physician before deciding on a course of treatment for yourself and/or your loved ones.